Irving was one of the many towns affected by "Big Dam Foolishness" during the construction of Tuttle Creek Lake about ten miles to the south.

Over the summer the area was wracked with fierce winds and thunderstorms that blew down buildings, took roofs and damaged the saw mill.

Despite these hardships, in 1878, Irving was described as "being located in one of the best settled and best cultivated portions of Marshall County"[6] On May 30, 1879, two tornadoes destroyed most of the town, leaving 19 dead and many more injured.

These tornadoes were extensively studied by the pioneer American meteorologist John Park Finley, and author L. Frank Baum may have named the main character of his Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale after one of the victims.

"[8] After plans for the construction of the Tuttle Creek Dam were announced, the population declined and many businesses, including the post office, closed.